Verstappen….out to Red Bull rivals after LATE penalty drama. Read more
Max Verstappen lost out to Ferrari rivals after a dramatic late penalty drama involving Lando Norris at the 2024 US Grand Prix. The final stages of the race saw an intense battle for third place between Norris and Verstappen. However, Norris was penalized after overtaking Verstappen, as the stewards determined that he had left the track and gained an unfair advantage. As a result, he was handed a five-second penalty, pushing him down the order and allowing Verstappen to retain his third-place finish.
Charles Leclerc claimed victory in Austin, his third win of the season, after taking the lead from Norris on the opening lap. His Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz played a key role in securing Leclerc’s win, as Ferrari used an undercut strategy during the pit stops to help Sainz hold off Verstappen, giving Leclerc a vital buffer to maintain his position at the front. Sainz’s performance ensured a Ferrari one-two finish, with Leclerc crossing the line 8.562 seconds ahead of Sainz.
The race saw an early safety car after a dramatic crash involving Lewis Hamilton on lap three. The Mercedes driver lost control heading into Turn 19 and was forced to retire from the race. Mercedes’ misfortunes continued when George Russell was handed a five-second penalty for running Valtteri Bottas off the track as they fought for position in the midfield. Russell eventually finished sixth, further compounding a tough race for Mercedes.
In other notable performances, Liam Lawson, who replaced Daniel Ricciardo at VCARB, impressed by finishing in ninth place and ahead of his teammate Yuki Tsunoda, earning valuable points for his team. Ricciardo’s departure has been controversial, but Lawson’s performance suggested the team made the right call. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured fifth place, while Norris was demoted to fourth due to his penalty.
Esteban Ocon of Alpine set the fastest lap of the race, although he finished a lap down in 18th place. The final classification saw Charles Leclerc secure victory, followed by Sainz and Verstappen. Lando Norris was fourth, just ahead of Piastri, with Russell, Sergio Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Liam Lawson, and Franco Colapinto rounding out the top ten. Hamilton was the only driver who failed to finish the race.
